TONY Blair is expected to face tough questions on civil liberties - after it emerged that the government has denied passports to two former inmates of notorious Camp X-Ray in Cuba.

The Prime Minister has a top-level meeting later this week with Tory leader Michael Howard and Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy over concerns about plans to detain terror suspects without trial and under "house arrest".

These plans were introduced after judges said it was unlawful to detain suspects without trial at special centres.

Now the opposition leaders are likely to raise concerns about the Home Secretary's decision to refuse passports to some of the Britons released from Guantanamo Bay.

Home Secretary Charles Clarke used rare powers under the Royal Prerogative to deny passports to Martin Mubanga and Feroz Abbasi.

Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesman Mark Oaten said today he hoped the decision had not been taken in a deal with US President George Bush, as part of the negotiations for the British detainees to be released from Guantanamo Bay.

Power

"The power should only be used under absolutely extreme circumstances and I find it hard to believe that these conditions have been met this time," said Mr Oaten.

The special powers have only been used 13 times since 1947, the last in 1976. The Home Office told Mr Mubanga, from north London, that the Home Secretary had the power to refuse passport facilities if it was thought to be contrary to the public interest.

"The Home Secretary considered there are strong grounds for believing that, on leaving the UK, you would take part in activities against the UK or allied targets and we have therefore decided to withdraw your passport facilities for the time being," said the Home Office.

They added that they thought the move, to prevent Mr Mubanga from leaving the country, was a "proportionate measure".

Mr Mubanga claimed that during his 33 months at the Camp X-Ray, he was interviewed for hours and chained by the hand and ankle. He was immediately arrested when he returned to Britain and questioned by anti-terrorist police officers before he was released without charge.